A few words from Fr. Joe….

Many of our schools have Advent services at this time. It is truly amazing to see and hear our young people sharing the story of Christmas in word and song. At one service during the week not only did they sing superbly, read strongly but they also drew words and...

‘Stay awake! Be ready!’

As we begin the season of Advent, the readings continue to focus (as in recent weeks) not just on the coming of Christ at the end of time, but also on his coming in our own lives. The people of Israel, newly returned from exile, find the task of rebuilding their land...

A few words from Fr Joe……………..

Advent is an invitation to enter into the plan of God for the whole human family. Ours is a world that God loves so much that he sends his only Son, Jesus, to live among us. It’s a radical choice, a huge risk, and yet ‘even though his state was divine’ he humbled...

‘For you my soul is thirsting, O Lord my God’

Today’s readings remind us that the path of love leads us away from ourselves. This is always painful, but ultimately it is a path that leads us to the fullness of life. Peter’s journey of faith (Gospel) earns him the severe disapproval of Jesus, who has started to...

A few words from Fr Joe…………………..

On one of the rare warm sunny evenings during the summer I sat on a wall in Blackrock. The sun was setting across the wide expanse of sand, and lots of young people had congregated. I noticed three boys sharing a pizza, some girls taking pics for their Instagram,...

‘But you, who do you say I am?’

Today’s readings focus on the way God looks on the lowly, the ones who need help. The Gospel encourages us to reflect on our own faith in Jesus. As we seek to answer truthfully Jesus’s question about his identity, we may also ponder on Peter, a simple fisherman, who...